Century Station
by cobalt-blue
Summary: It's been 8 years since Operation Overlord.  Apex is dead, and the Centurions are down and most Legionnaires have left Century Station. Can a small band of remaining Cavaliers save the Centurions and the city from the Slaughterhouse 7?


**Author's Note:**

This story is set in Palladium's Heroes Unlimited Century Station supplement. Since it is eight years old, I projected things that many years into the future. Apex finally succumbed to his "super cancer", and Speedmetal has grown up enough to join the Centurions. Mayor Zardona managed to hang on to his job because Operation Overlord was enough of a success to keep the President from canning him and sending in the troops. But like most bureaucratic programs it has become bogged down to the point that most of the "Legionaires" have left town because of the mayor's and CHIMERA's strong arm tactics. Now there's been a break-out from Gramercy Island Prison by the Slaughterhouse Seven, and people are wondering if the Centurions are up to the task, and since CHIMERA alienated the rest of the Legionaires, there are very few heroes to which to turn.

Please remember to stop by the review box and feed the author on your way out.

**Chapter 1**

The sun was making splashes of bright oranges and deep purples on the ocean as it rose over the eastern horizon. Most of their neighbors- if you could call Victoria Beach a real neighborhood as it was more of a series of isolated estates along the wild and rocky eastern coast of Century Station- would be surprised to learn that the three people who'd bought the property from the Widow Zarovsky and built the mansion on Porpoise Point were in fact not exactly human, nor even mortal.

Settling into his seat, Sasha smiled at the blonde across from him. All three of them were in some way marked as different from the other eleven million souls who called Century Station home. Sasha himself could best be described as a neko- a cat boy with golden-furred ears, claws and a tail. Of course on the full moon- or when he felt the need to- he could become so much more than just that, but he could not easily pass for human.

Cadence had large metallic gold wings on her back. She could fly at amazing speeds, sometimes even breaking the sound barrier. Combined with her not inconsiderable psionic powers she would make a formidable force in dealing with the problems faced by the city. Again, she could not easily pass as a baseline either.

But it was Peri who was the most fundamentally different while at the same time most capable of passing as human. At first glance, Peregrine Harper was an attractive young person of indeterminate gender- if the shoulder length blond hair was brushed back, revealing pointed ears like an elf. However it was the indeterminate gender that was the problem. Peri was born a fully functional and complete hermaphrodite. Like Sasha there was a Japanese term for what Peri was, but Sasha would never apply that word to this friend and lover. Of all three of them, she could most easily pass as human.

"As long as the police and CHIMERA are insisting that only _their_ super humans are allowed to operate in the city, I think we should keep our heads down, continue our work with the Mutant Underground, and leave the crime fighting to them," Sasha said sitting down for breakfast with his two lovers.

"We could always take CHIMERA up on their offer," Cadence said. "I mean, it's not like they don't already know who we are, and may even suspect what we are doing."

Sasha shook his head, "I don't think so. Our work with the MU is too important. If somebody started asking questions, then it might lead back to where we're smuggling mutants to Highguard. We've already had those two agents from the Mutant Task Force sniffing around. I'd rather not give them any more reason to look too closely at us," he told them. "Besides, I don't think Mayor Zardona and his administration is likely to be around much longer."

"I agree," Peri said over a tumbler of juice. "He may have dodged a bullet by barely getting the city's crime problem under control, but he alienated a large portion of the non-baseline population that could help him keep it under control."

Cadence snorted and said, "You call this situation under control? The color gangs are still running loose, Gramercy Island is packed full, and the CSPD is on the verge of being shut down for strong arm tactics and completely ignoring the civil right of the citizens. Apex is dead, the Valkyries left town, and one member of the Iron Brigade went rogue and had to be put down. If that's under control, I'd hate to see what chaos was."

Sasha shrugged and cocked one of the cat-like ears at the top of his head toward Cadence and replied, "It's barely better now than it was eight years ago before Operation Overlord- at least for the mutants outside the Labyrinth. Until that place is dealt with, until the underlying problems there are addressed, it's not going to get much better. Alpha Prime crushed this city's spirit when she and the rest of her busy-body alien buddies confiscated the advanced technology there. And that has made it even harder for anyone else in the city who doesn't look like a baseline."

"What brought this on?" Cadence asked staring down at her eggs and bacon. It had been Sasha's turn to cook- they preferred not to have a staff at the house to better protect the various mutants they were helping along the Mutant Undergound- and Sasha had no illusions about what the others thought of his cooking skills.

"There was a report on the tube this morning about a major break-out at Gramercy Island last night," Peri said.

Cadence's head popped up and asked, "How close to here did they get?"

Sasha shook his head and said, "Not close. Colonel Chaos and his bunch made a bee-line for Center City."

"The Slaughterhouse Seven escaped?" the winged blonde asked. "And you didn't wake us?"

Sasha smiled and told her, "I was busy moving our guests out of the city. Trust me, if they'd gotten close, I'd have warned you."

"At least there's that," Peri commented.

"And we won't be getting any more guests until the Colonel and his gang are captured. We don't want to put our charges in any more danger than we have to," he told them.

"So then, what's the plans for today?" Peri asked.

"Well, since we now have nothing to do, I thought we'd spend the day in town, do some shopping and maybe have lunch at that new Korean place over in the Jade Tower," Sasha told them with a mischievous smile.

Cadence shook her head and said, "I'm not sitting on the floor." Sasha knew that she was concerned about having to bind her wings. Keeping them out of the way during every day activities was hard enough, sitting on the floor of a restaurant, no matter how good would simply be too uncomfortable to enjoy the food.

With a smile, he said, "You won't have to. They do have western seating for their guests who prefer it."

"Do you really want to stick our necks out in public knowing that it's just a matter of time before the Slaughterhouse Seven and the Centurions tear into each other?" Peri asked.

"I'm not going to let a bunch of criminals dictate what I can and cannot do in a city where I pay a considerable amount of taxes," Sasha said.

"Yeah, but those ears and that cute little tail of yours is going to attract almost as much attention as my wings," Cadence countered. "Do we really want to put ourselves that much on display?"

"We won't be wearing a costume, we'll be shoppers, and the last time I checked our money was as good as anybody's in the city," Sasha told them. "Besides, Kim Jongwha, the owner of the place is a an advocate for mutant rights." The other two smiled, and Sasha realized that it was going to be a good day after all- his scrambled eggs not withstanding.

Exactly what is the situation in town," Dewayne Zardona asked the gathered officials from Gramercy Island Prison and CHIMERA. The fact that the Slaughterhouse Seven left Warden Ernest Harker a smoldering pile of gears and micro chips had sent the City Council, and the Council of Industry into a quiet panic. Nobody had any idea that the man was really some kind of android, nor when he'd been replaced if at all. So far, they'd managed to keep that information out of the general public but it was only a matter of time.

Anja Balison, head of CHIMERA cleared her throat and stepped forward. "So far things have been quiet. The Slaughterhouse Seven disappeared into the Labyrinth early this morning. The Centurions are making a very visible show of force. Whiz Kid has those little camera satellites whizzing all over the city looking for trouble, and the rest of the team is patrolling all sections of the city. The Sector Squad is on high alert, and CSPD has called in every officer and put them on patrol. We considered dismissing the schools early, but decided we'd rather not have the kids on the streets. We did however, put them on alert and they're ready to go on lock down at a moment's notice.

Zardona shook his head and asked, "If it gets bad, can we count on the Legionaires?"

Balison glared at him a moment and then said, "Most of them left town. It would seem that our crack-down on illegal use of powers has resulted that the only people left in town with them are the bad guys."

"It would seem that by CHIMERA outlawing super powers, they created a situation where only outlaws have super powers," Cassandra Blodgett said wryly. "I tried to tell you that policy would come back and bite you in the backside."

"Be that as it may," Zardona said, "What about the few that didn't leave? I mean there have to be _some_ people who can help bring in the Slaughterhouse Seven. It took the combined power of the Victory City Sentinels, the Peacekeeper League and the All-Crusader Squadron to bring them down in the first place. Those are some pretty heavy hitters. I'm not sure just the Centurions and the Sector Squad can handle them alone. What about those kids you made an offer of Cavalier status to? Will they join?"

Balison shook her dark head and sighed. "They were very clear. I believe jack-booted Nazi-wannabes was the nicest words they used describe the CSPD and CHIMERA. What they called you and me would peel the paint off the walls."

"But they didn't leave town?" Zardona asked hopefully.

"No, they didn't. They are scrupulous in making sure they don't in any way violate the anti-vigilante laws, but they don't hide what they are either," Balison said. "And they know we've got men watching them."

"You're not alone," Blodgett said.

Zardona turned to look at the Council of Industry's youngest liaison to his office. She was an attractive woman in her early thirties who'd fought a hard and vicious battle for control of her father's company after he'd passed about six years ago. She was also an outspoken voice for individual rights in his office- including being in opposition to the anti-vigilante policy of CHIMERA. He'd at least learn to listen to her. "What do you mean?"

"That bunch of lunatics that caused so many problems about a decade ago, SHOCK. They've had them under surveillance too," she said. She must have seen the look on Zardona's face because she added, "What did you expect? They're all obviously not baselines, and they don't try to hide it." She smiled and said, "To be honest, they live their lives with such a quiet dignity that you can't help but admire them."

This may be the kind of crisis that Zardona was looking for. A wise politician once said, "never let a crisis go to waste." Maybe he could use this one to shore up the membership of the Centurions. The only super they'd been able to get to join the team after Apex died of cancer was Speedmetal- and the Centurions had mentored him all through high school as it was. He calmed is voice, looked at Balison and said, "Tell me about them."

The woman frowned at him but said, "They are Sasha No, Cadence Griffin, and Peregrine Harper. They haven't gone by any code names that we know of, but the department calls them Tiger Claw, Pinion, and the White Mage. No and Griffin are business people who made fortunes first as day traders and then as managers for various mutual funds. Harper is the heir to some European title and fortune, and is a tenured professor of Archeology at Copernicus University. They own one of the largest stretches of beach front property on Victoria Beach as well as a ranch out in Diego Verde."

"What about their powers?" Zardona asked. "Would they be helpful in bringing in Colonel Chaos and the rest of his nut-jobs?"

Balison swallowed and then nodded. It was obvious she didn't like the idea of having to call in outside help. Blodgett's comment hadn't helped the situation either. "I believe so," she said. "Although No, looks like a simple neko, he's far stronger and more durable than he lets on. I've gotten some unofficial reports out of the feds that suggests when he transforms into his weretiger form, he can go toe to toe with the Denizen."

"What kinds of reports?" Zardona asked.

Balison replied "Evidently he had a dust up with a dozen guys in SHOCK armor who attacked a mutant called Lone Shark. He took down Loan Shark in a matter of minutes, and when the idiots in the SHOCK armor attacked him, he turned on them. He played with them for several hours before peeling the armor off their leader and turned the man over his knee and spanked him in front of several security cameras."

"Why didn't that make the news?" Zardona asked with a chuckle.

"Anders Michaels has very deep pockets," Balison said.

Zardona needed no further information. The leader of SHOCK was a very powerful man, and could make most problems disappear rather easily. "What about the others?"

"Griffin of course has a large pair of golden raptor wings on her back. They appear to have a metallic sheen to them even though they are obviously organic in form. She also has demonstrated above human normal strength as well as an array of impressive psionic powers," Balison told him.

"How impressive?" Zardona asked.

"Impressive enough to have several national intelligence agencies interested in her," Balison said. "Jenkins, our cyber-crime expert says that at least three of the agencies have tried to trojan CHIMERA's files on her specifically."

"And the last one?" Zardona asked.

"Doctor Harper too has shown greater than normal physical strength, but his..., or her- we can't accurately identify the good doctor's gender- real forte lies in the mystical arts. According to our sources from that community, the White Mage has shown the ability to cast what they call "spells of legend" almost casually." She shook her head wryly and added, "Whatever that means. What worries us the most, is that we believe they have contacts inside the Mutant Underground."

"What's the mutant underground?" Blodgett asked.

Balison gave her a look that made it clear to all in the room that she was not buying the innocent act. "Depending on who you ask, it's either a mutant form of the underground railroad like from the nineteenth century moving mutants to safe houses and then out of the country or to communities where they won't be persecuted; or a terrorist organization hiding dangerous criminals and plotting for the overthrow of the US government. That's what's really brought them into conflict with us. They see Operation Overlord and the anti-vigilante programs as encouraging prejudice and violence against mutants."

"The question is can we get them to help defend the city?" Zardona asked.

Balison shook her head and said, "I honestly don't know, Your Honor. If they are personally attacked, yes. If too many innocents are threatened are injured, probably. But if we go with our hats in hands and ask them, probably not. Tiger Claw would take a great deal of pleasure in telling us in great detail exactly where to stuff our request."

"I'll ask them," Blodgett said. Zardona could hear a tone of fatal resignation to her voice. There was a history here about which nobody else knew."

"You know Mr. No?" Balison asked.

"We've traveled in some of the same circles in the past," Blodgett replied. Zardona did not get where he was without being a student of humanity. There was a story behind that reply, and the mayor would be willing to bet quite a bit that the story was not a pleasant one.

"Very well, see what you can do," Zardona told her while making a mental note to do some discrete inquiries. The results might prove to be enlightening.


End file.
